This invention relates to an improved electronic vibrating compression glove. The glove is operable by a power source and simultaneously compresses and vibrates the wearer's hand. It is useful for massage therapy for injured and/or arthritic hands. There are available massaging devices that attach to individual fingers or are handheld but they all differ from the present invention in important ways. Some examples of existing massaging devices are described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,862 shows a flexible glove that uses a source of pulse energy such as a TENS unit to provide electrical nerve stimulation. Publication 2004/0087881 provides electrical and heat vibrating with a full leather glove. Publication 2003/0221238 provides a loose fitting glove with a large motor source attached to its exterior. Publication 2002/0083508 is a vibrating glove with a plurality of balls being movably disposed near the ends of the fingers. Publication 2005/0143679 shows a glove of conventional configuration with a heating element and vibratory massage. Publication 2008/0216207 shows a glove with a vibrational device to ease finger pain and a glove palm surface with grip dots. U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,855 shows a stun glove to give an electrical shock to an assailant. U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,252 shows a massaging glove with vibratory balls. U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,604 shows a massage glove again with conventional glove material and a bulky separate rechargeable battery. U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,654 shows a massage glove and bead packet. U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,509 is directed to a finger massage device that is mountable to a user's finger. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,601,529 and 5,519,292 are both directed to massage apparatuses that are mountable on the hand and wrist of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,233 is directed to a large fixed massage ball, and is mountable to all of the fingers of one hand. U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,481 is directed to a gum massage implement that is mounted to the posterior side of a finger of the user, and a method of finger massaging gums. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,918,055 and 2,350,817 are both directed to hand massagers. Both of the devices depicted in these patents are secured to the posterior side of several fingers of the user. These devices also impart vibratory forces to the hand of the user, which is in turn used for massaging either the user or another. U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,089 is directed to a hand attachment means for a vibrator. The reference from the French Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Ministere de L′Industrie et du Commerce), number 59.368, describes a massage glove) utilizes hot air to heat the glove, and the massaging vibrations imparted by the glove are caused by a piston mechanism pushing pulsations of hot air through the glove.
While all of the above described gloves are relevant to the present invention in the sense that they show gloves which operably massage in one way or another, they are all distinguishable on several grounds and they all have deficiencies which do not allow them to achieve the results of the present invention. None collectively show in a single glove, compression, vibration transferred to the top of digit joints and a glove that appears normal.
Accordingly it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a compression glove that is vibrational at the top of the digit joints that can have a normal appearance and that allows the hands to still perform normal tasks while they are worn.
Another objective is to provide a glove that provides some relief to people with chronic hand problems, often from arthritic joints of the digits.
A yet further objective is to provide a glove that is comfortable and avoids significant migration of its electrical components.
And still further it is an objective of the present invention to provide a glove that helps maintain the feel of the massage longer, even after the electrical components are shut off.
Another objective is to provide a silicone cover on the fabric encasing the battery housing to minimize migration.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives, as well as other benefits will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.